Sounds of Bora Bora

 

Almost everyone has seen the picture postcard views of this world famous atoll, but one of the more unusual aspects of any trip to Bora Bora, in fact to the South Pacific islands in general, is the local’s enthusiasm for traditional Polynesian music.

Every evening, the sound of ukuleles being played, often accompanied by singing, can be heard drifting on the breeze from the open doors and windows of the islander’s homes or more hauntingly, drifting across the lagoon from the utter darkness of the beaches. Depending on wind strength and direction the melodies can often be clearly heard at the luxury 5-star resort hotels situated on the Motus strung out like a necklace of pearls around the main island.

At the end of my last visit, as I waited for my flight from Tahiti to LA, the familiar sound of singing and the strumming of a ukulele came drifting through the terminal building at Faa’a Airport, just outside Papeete. The source, I was soon to discover, was the airport’s bank, which had just closed for the day. Inside, the manager was seated on the counter playing a ukulele, while his assistants were singing and swaying to the rhythm. Not something you expect to find in European or US banks.